OMG, we only have seven nights left!...

We’re in Gibraltar today from 0800 to 2300—WHY oh why couldn’t we stay late in a Spanish city so we could have a wonderful Spanish dinner?

Once again, TripAdvisor and CruiseCritic have come through with a wonderful recommendation for a tour guide, Carl from Gibralter Inside Out Rock Tours, rated numero uno tour guide in Gibraltar. I am absolutely exhausted from all the places he took us today. From the stunning views (10 days a year, he says, the visibility is as it was today, thanks to a north wind for two days) to the history-laden walks deep into the rock of Gibraltar it was a wonderful day. It left me, aside from absolutely exhausted, wanting so much to know more about the history of this area. Not just WWII but also the history of the sieges of the 18th century and the men who carved the tunnels using just hand tools and occasionally some gunpowder, to the Moorish invasions, and the Spanish closing the borders because the Gibraltarians voted 98% to 2% to remain British.

We walked the Siege Tunnels—did you know there are 50 kilometers of roads inside the rock and only 32 kilometers of roads OUTSIDE the rock? And that there were not only hospitals and kitchens inside the rock, but tennis courts?—we visited St Michael’s cave with its music and psychedelic music, we interacted with the Barbary Macaques (once known as the Barbary Apes, they are actually monkeys albeit tailless ones) and I had one or two sit on my head! We visited the buildings that housed the many troops who have defended Gibraltar and saw the graffiti they etched on the walls to keep from falling asleep (a death sentence!).

We also got time to shop and eat and drink in the Old Town area of Gibraltar however, our lunch was a bit tainted by all the smokers! We Americans are really spoiled by how few smokers we have and especially how few smokers there are in restaurants. We sat at an outdoor café, The Angry Friar (he was probably upset because the smokers ruined his afternoon meal!), surrounded by smokers. Bah, humbug.

This was day two of a four day stretch of full-day tours. Tomorrow is Seville (from the port of Cadiz), the following day is Lisbon. Then a day at sea followed by a tour all-day of A Coruña and an all-day tour of Bilbao. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

Then on to driving on the wrong side of the road in 8 days!

We’re also planning a party complete with a bartender (our favorite, Ryan, from the Crow’s Nest); we just have to figure out who to invite!

The road crosses the runway at Gibraltar airport

Randy & the Barbary Macaques